Frances Torres
\nSpecial to In Motion<\/p>\n
The Everything Is Possible Foundation is having its annual Walk and Roll event on March 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Earl Brown Park, Deland. Proceeds from the event are aimed to give those with disabilities a four-legged partner and friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to get services dogs to help people like myself so the dogs can assist us to grab groceries, open doors, give money to the cashiers and things like that,\u201d says Judy Craig, who founded the Everything Is Possible Foundation in 2013.<\/p>\n
Craig had a spinal stroke in 2007 which left her in a wheelchair, so she understands the struggle and what it feels like to feel helpless. She started Everything Is Possible in hopes that others like her never have to feel that way.<\/p>\n
To Craig, the scariest part of leaving the safety of a rehabilitation center\u00a0 is returning home and facing the many obstacles that before weren\u2019t a challenge.\u00a0 Just getting in the shower, grabbing food from the pantry or removing a glass from the cabinet can be a daunting, if not impossible, task. While the average person doesn\u2019t think for a moment about such \u201csimple\u201d things, a person in a wheelchair can struggle with many daily tasks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to people with disabilities to live a full and independent life,,\u201d says Craig, adding that those little moments are of the utmost importance to the disabled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember last year we gave a Barbie doll who was in a wheelchair to a little girl and she said \u2018Look, I\u2019ve never seen a doll who looks just like me,\u201d\u2019 recalls Terry Benzia, President of the Photography Club in Daytona State College and an Everything Is Possible Foundation volunteer.<\/p>\n
In addition to toys and service dogs, the foundations looks for other opportunities\u00a0 to brighten the lives of those who suffer from a disability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was another child who was partially blind, so we bought the paint and painted his room with bright colors since he loved colors so much,\u201d Benzia says.<\/p>\n
Benzia helps organize and plan the annual Walk and Roll event with Craig. Participants, she says, will walk around the loop of the Earl Brown Park, where a variety of stations are set up for attendees. Last year, there was a drinking station, followed by one where volunteers handed out cookies and so forth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have this wish list during the event where people can write down what they want or need and it\u2019s our mission to make it happen,\u201d says Benzia.<\/p>\n
Volunteers also are given chalk so they can write on signs to encourage people with disabilities to keep going and to complete the walk..<\/p>\n
People with disabilities who are in attendance get a free T-shirt, goodie bags and prizes. There is a $10 entry fee for able-bodied participants and vendors pay a fee as well. In addition to the walk and refreshment stations, there wil be food and drink vendors, activities and entertainment.<\/p>\n
For information, call Benzia at 738-5781 or\u00a0 Craig at 738-5781. More details are also available at:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.everythingispossiblefoundation.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Frances Torres Special to In Motion The Everything Is Possible Foundation is having its annual Walk and Roll event on March 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Earl Brown Park, Deland. Proceeds from the event are aimed to give those with disabilities a four-legged partner and friend. \u201cWe\u2019re Continue reading Walk and Roll gives disabled wings of independence<\/span>